Just returned from the Noordam

We have just returned home from back to back cruises (14 May) on the Noordam, west and east around the Mediterranean. While not very experienced cruisers - we have done 5 to date with HAL (2), Star, Norwegian, Royal Caribbean and Princess.

WE last sailed with HAL on the Rotterdam about 4 years ago and were very impressed. Our subsequent cruises with the other lines we dont think matched the HAL standard in terms of food, quality of accommodation, service and ports. Princess, we think are a very close second while Royal Caribbean is back a bit (but probably lower cost). We sailed on the Norwegian Epic and while it is great for families, we didnt like the food or the effort of having to book and often pay for shows etc. There are also limited areas to actually view the ocean from the inside of the ship.

I should mention we are mid 60's so that may contribute to our views. The Noordam cruise we have just completed confirmed our views about the quality of HAL. The crew were very accessable and the Captail a delight. The staff overall we thought not quite as good as 4 years ago particularly in the main dining room.

Food quality and choice was great. We ate in the Main Dining Room for most dinners and the Lido other times. We tried Canaletto once and thought it was great. We would have gone more often but found it was booked out most nights. If this is available dont forget to try it.

We have never had so many invitations to special functions. We found it hard to keep up with them. I am not sure if part of the reason was the number of Aussies and New Zealanders on board (800 on the second 10 day cruise) as a number of the events were Aussie and NZ get togethers but it made you feel very special. Vegemite was even provided. The front of the ship was opened up for scenic cruising again something we have not experienced before.

The ports were all excellent and on a 17 day cruise we only had 3 sea days. That suited us but may not suit everyone. We only took one ships tour and that was in Tunisia. I have to say that HAL should do a bit more planning to ensure value for money. We took the Bardo Museum and Shopping Experience Tour. The shopping experience was to one shop for a carpet hard sell with only 5 minutes left for shopping in other shops in the souq.

We had an SY suite and were very happy with the room and large verandah. Some friends had a Main Deck J and it was huge. Other friends had a VF balcony which was small in comparison to the J and our cabin. We though the J was great value.

Enbarkation and disembarkation were very easy and organised as it was for each of the ports. It was also a nice touch to have a cold drink and towel waiting before you boarded. We also found that the port information was much better than our other cruises and was actually very useful as were the maps.

Overall we rated the Noordam very highly and will be using HAL for our next cruise.

Thank you for the review.

We were with you on the 10 day portion of the cruise and echo your sentiments. Loved having the New Zealanders and Australians aboard. I met a few that were an absolute delight. We also thought our Canaletto dinner was excellent and heard the same from others. Since our luggage had gone missing we needed a little extra help from the front desk for the first few days and they delivered. Lesson learned - pack at least one change of clothes in your carry on!:o My kids had booked a J cabin on the Eurodam on our previous Med cruise and I agree they are very spacious. We only ate in the Main Dining Room once and although it was all right, never received our coffee for dessert. We generally ate in the Lido, my son and I would carry our plates out to the aft deck and eat there, the weather was beautiful the entire cruise except for the first sea day. My general daily schedule was early morning tour in port, eat lunch aboard the Noordam, take nap on balcony in the sun. Glorious. :D Tried doing that at home but nobody did the dishes or cooked me dinner. Oh Well!

Diane

Great review - thanks for sharing. The Noordam is a nice ship. Glad you enjoyed it:D

I enjoyed your review. I will be on the 7 day Riviera Romance cruise leaving July 30th and I have a few questions for that portion. What time was the muster drill? We might be planning a meet & greet afterwards. What nights were the formal nights? Did HAL provide a shuttle from the port in Barcelona? From looking at the link to the map of Cannes , did the tenders drop you off at Gare Maritime? Thank you.

http://www.planetware.com/map/cannes-map-f-cannes.htm

Thanks for the review. Glad you enjoyed your cruise :)

Thank you also for the review of the Tunisia tour, I'm still debating if to do our own thing or book a ships tour when we go in August. I will not book the bardo and souk tour from what you have said.

Ideally we would like to visit the souk and Sidi Bou Said, but Hal do not offer that combination.

Did you notice if the new train link actually at the port at La Goulette was now being used ?

Sam :)

I have a question, too. We are planning this cruise for the same time period next year, May 2012. How was your weather in general. Were the ports as crowded as they might be in summer?

Any advise or info would be appreciated.

Jackie

The crew were very accessable and the Captail a delight.

Who was the Captain who was such a delight?

We have just returned home from back to back cruises (14 May) on the Noordam, west and east around the Mediterranean. While not very experienced cruisers - we have done 5 to date with HAL (2), Star, Norwegian, Royal Caribbean and Princess.

 

WE last sailed with HAL on the Rotterdam about 4 years ago and were very impressed. Our subsequent cruises with the other lines we dont think matched the HAL standard in terms of food, quality of accommodation, service and ports. Princess, we think are a very close second while Royal Caribbean is back a bit (but probably lower cost). We sailed on the Norwegian Epic and while it is great for families, we didnt like the food or the effort of having to book and often pay for shows etc. There are also limited areas to actually view the ocean from the inside of the ship.

 

I should mention we are mid 60's so that may contribute to our views. The Noordam cruise we have just completed confirmed our views about the quality of HAL. The crew were very accessable and the Captail a delight. The staff overall we thought not quite as good as 4 years ago particularly in the main dining room.

 

Food quality and choice was great. We ate in the Main Dining Room for most dinners and the Lido other times. We tried Canaletto once and thought it was great. We would have gone more often but found it was booked out most nights. If this is available dont forget to try it.

 

We have never had so many invitations to special functions. We found it hard to keep up with them. I am not sure if part of the reason was the number of Aussies and New Zealanders on board (800 on the second 10 day cruise) as a number of the events were Aussie and NZ get togethers but it made you feel very special. Vegemite was even provided. The front of the ship was opened up for scenic cruising again something we have not experienced before.

 

The ports were all excellent and on a 17 day cruise we only had 3 sea days. That suited us but may not suit everyone. We only took one ships tour and that was in Tunisia. I have to say that HAL should do a bit more planning to ensure value for money. We took the Bardo Museum and Shopping Experience Tour. The shopping experience was to one shop for a carpet hard sell with only 5 minutes left for shopping in other shops in the souq.

 

We had an SY suite and were very happy with the room and large verandah. Some friends had a Main Deck J and it was huge. Other friends had a VF balcony which was small in comparison to the J and our cabin. We though the J was great value.

 

Enbarkation and disembarkation were very easy and organised as it was for each of the ports. It was also a nice touch to have a cold drink and towel waiting before you boarded. We also found that the port information was much better than our other cruises and was actually very useful as were the maps.

 

Overall we rated the Noordam very highly and will be using HAL for our next cruise.

We loved the Noordam also, great ship and crew. Glad you enjoyed your trip.

Thank you for your positive review.

Pleased that you enjoyed your cruise.

We are on the June 20 sailing and have booked the full day Tunis excursion. Based on what you wrote, I can see it might be a real loser. Were you able to see much in the Bardo Museum? Could you have refused to go to the carpet shop and met up with the group later? Did other people on the trip have good experiences with DIY options? Thanks. Linda

Hi

thanks for that. We are b to b from 6th August for 20 nights. Not been on Noordam - but a few other dam ships! I've just been looking at the price of trips- phew not good. The company will always tell you that European coaches etc are expensive. This is of course rubbish as in Austria a few weeks ago a full day trip was half the price! But while they continue this and people pay the prices so it goes on.

Not to moan though I am looking forward to being back on Hal [after a year off last year].

Cheers Teresa

Thanks for the review. Glad you enjoyed your cruise :)

 

Thank you also for the review of the Tunisia tour, I'm still debating if to do our own thing or book a ships tour when we go in August. I will not book the bardo and souk tour from what you have said.

 

Ideally we would like to visit the souk and Sidi Bou Said, but Hal do not offer that combination.

 

Did you notice if the new train link actually at the port at La Goulette was now being used ?

 

Sam :)

Sam, we took the local train from La Goulette to Tunis. It's a relatively short walk from the port to the station. When in La Goulette, go to one of the local banks to exchange a few euros to the local currency. Only local currency will be accepted by the ticket seller at the station. If I recall correctly, a one way ticket cost about 0.40 euros.

The frequency of the train is about every 15 minutes. It is only 2 cars in length and can be very crowded. But that made it all the more of an adventure. Just watch your belongings. If you carrying a back pack, carry it on the front. Also do not have any jewellry such as a gold chain around the neck as this can be snatched. We had that happen to one of us in the Medina.

The train terminates right downtown in Tunis. Walk straight up the main street for about 6 blocks and you will reach the Medina. Here's a suggestion. Take a digital photo of the main entrance of the market. If you get lost in this maze of a market like we did, simply show a local person the photo and they will point you in the right direction. No French required.

When you return to the ship, get off at the La Goulette station. Do not get off at the previous station where you can see the ship. You will not get access to the port from this station and will be forced to walk to the La Goulette station.

Hope this helps. Enjoy your day in Tunis!

Ed

Thanks for the review, glad to hear you had a good time :)

Who was the Captain who was such a delight?

The Captain was John Scott. Nice guy.

The Captain was John Scott. Nice guy.

Thank You!

Hi We were on the Noordam for a wonderful 17 day cruise May 14-31st and we opted for the 'Best Of Tunisia" tour with Holland. Our guide was Adele and we were unfortunately taken to the Medinia for what he said was shopping also but it ended up being a Carpet sell. Adele told us he was a Berber and we were put in a room and given either tunisian coffee, coke or water and then the sale began with the locals throwing all kinds of carpets out for us to view. When no one seemed interested on our bus tour, our guide Adele stepped in and started trying to sell some becoming aggressive. We thought we would get to do some shopping as he had said but we were steered right away from any gold shops etc... He said the gold was imported frm Canada and the US and it was not good quality. He told us he only took us to 'governmental' stores and the others were not good. No the deal was he was only getting commissions from the 2 stores he took us and one being the carpet store and the other a junky jewellery store. The Sidi Bou Said was the same. He tried to tell us which shops to go to. I would never take another tour from Holland in Tunisia let alone a cruise that had a stop there. We found out when we returned home from a co-worker of my husband that was born and raised in Tunisia that the gold is 24K and mined not far from there. Lies from the guide. We certainly let Holland know we were not happy with the tour. We would have been better off to stay at the pier and shop in the shops and go for a camel ride. Oh! and the free lunch on the tour was not the best....

We are leaving for the Med cruise today and I am so glad I checked back one more time to see what was new on the Boards. One carpet sell is enough to last a lifetime and we have already experienced that in Turkey. I am going to call HAL this morning and cancel the Tunisia excursion. Thank you for the information about how to use the train. Linda

Sam, we took the local train from La Goulette to Tunis. It's a relatively short walk from the port to the station. When in La Goulette, go to one of the local banks to exchange a few euros to the local currency. Only local currency will be accepted by the ticket seller at the station. If I recall correctly, a one way ticket cost about 0.40 euros.

 

The frequency of the train is about every 15 minutes. It is only 2 cars in length and can be very crowded. But that made it all the more of an adventure. Just watch your belongings. If you carrying a back pack, carry it on the front. Also do not have any jewellry such as a gold chain around the neck as this can be snatched. We had that happen to one of us in the Medina.

 

The train terminates right downtown in Tunis. Walk straight up the main street for about 6 blocks and you will reach the Medina. Here's a suggestion. Take a digital photo of the main entrance of the market. If you get lost in this maze of a market like we did, simply show a local person the photo and they will point you in the right direction. No French required.

 

When you return to the ship, get off at the La Goulette station. Do not get off at the previous station where you can see the ship. You will not get access to the port from this station and will be forced to walk to the La Goulette station.

 

Hope this helps. Enjoy your day in Tunis!

Ed[/quote

 

Thanks for the info! How long is the train ride?

Marge

Sam, we took the local train from La Goulette to Tunis. It's a relatively short walk from the port to the station. When in La Goulette, go to one of the local banks to exchange a few euros to the local currency. Only local currency will be accepted by the ticket seller at the station. If I recall correctly, a one way ticket cost about 0.40 euros.

 

The frequency of the train is about every 15 minutes. It is only 2 cars in length and can be very crowded. But that made it all the more of an adventure. Just watch your belongings. If you carrying a back pack, carry it on the front. Also do not have any jewellry such as a gold chain around the neck as this can be snatched. We had that happen to one of us in the Medina.

 

The train terminates right downtown in Tunis. Walk straight up the main street for about 6 blocks and you will reach the Medina. Here's a suggestion. Take a digital photo of the main entrance of the market. If you get lost in this maze of a market like we did, simply show a local person the photo and they will point you in the right direction. No French required.

 

When you return to the ship, get off at the La Goulette station. Do not get off at the previous station where you can see the ship. You will not get access to the port from this station and will be forced to walk to the La Goulette station.

 

Hope this helps. Enjoy your day in Tunis!

Ed[/quote

 

Thanks for the info! How long is the train ride?

Marge

 

I can't remember exactly how long the train ride was but it felt like about 20 minutes. Had to stand the whole way because of the crowding and could barely reach a grab bar. But it was still fun and a great way to sample local life. We felt safe walking around downtown and in the Medina. Other than the razor wire protecting government buildings and army equipment and personnel, it felt like just another day in a busy city. Just don't be flashy with jewellery. Oh, watch the traffic.

-Ed

Anyone take the Carthage tour?

Was there a tour with no stop at a rug factory?

Sam, we took the local train from La Goulette to Tunis. It's a relatively short walk from the port to the station. When in La Goulette, go to one of the local banks to exchange a few euros to the local currency. Only local currency will be accepted by the ticket seller at the station. If I recall correctly, a one way ticket cost about 0.40 euros.

 

The frequency of the train is about every 15 minutes. It is only 2 cars in length and can be very crowded. But that made it all the more of an adventure. Just watch your belongings. If you carrying a back pack, carry it on the front. Also do not have any jewellry such as a gold chain around the neck as this can be snatched. We had that happen to one of us in the Medina.

 

The train terminates right downtown in Tunis. Walk straight up the main street for about 6 blocks and you will reach the Medina. Here's a suggestion. Take a digital photo of the main entrance of the market. If you get lost in this maze of a market like we did, simply show a local person the photo and they will point you in the right direction. No French required.

 

When you return to the ship, get off at the La Goulette station. Do not get off at the previous station where you can see the ship. You will not get access to the port from this station and will be forced to walk to the La Goulette station.

 

Hope this helps. Enjoy your day in Tunis!

Ed

Thats great info Ed, thankyou. I have made notes :D

Though I have to say daughter was mortified when i read the no French required :rolleyes:...She adores the French language (languages in general really) and is hoping to use it a fair bit and maybe a few arabic words I have taught her too :D

I'm thinking the same train continues to Sidi Bou Said?

I'm hoping the new station will be open actually in port by the time we go but at least it is good to know how easy it is and also about the crowding - as you say that is part of the fun of local life!

Sam :)

Our best of Tunisia tour stopped at Carthage first, but the Medina is where the rug selling goes down. They parade you into a store and you go up many stairs into a room. So, if the tour says they will stop at the Medina be prepared for a Berber rug sell, unless of course you travel there via the train on your own.

Our best of Tunisia tour stopped at Carthage first, but the Medina is where the rug selling goes down. They parade you into a store and you go up many stairs into a room. So, if the tour says they will stop at the Medina be prepared for a Berber rug sell, unless of course you travel there via the train on your own.

Thank you for your review and your answers to our questions. I'll look at the tours carefully.

I enjoyed your review. I will be on the 7 day Riviera Romance cruise leaving July 30th and I have a few questions for that portion. What time was the muster drill? We might be planning a meet & greet afterwards. What nights were the formal nights? Did HAL provide a shuttle from the port in Barcelona? From looking at the link to the map of Cannes , did the tenders drop you off at Gare Maritime? Thank you.

http://www.planetware.com/map/cannes-map-f-cannes.htm

Sorry about the delay in responding. We have been trying to orgainise things after returning from our holiday. I will have to check the time with my wife for the muster and the formal nights and will get back to you. My recollection is that the muster was about 4pm on the first day. HAL did provide a shuttle in Barcelona that dropped us off in a square at the bottom of the city near the port. It was where both hop on hop off bus companies had a stop. Cost was $US7 one way I believe.

We used the Red hop on hop off bus and found it was good and not as crowded as the Bus Touristic. There were long lines for it at Gaudi's church so we were grateful that we had taken the Red bus instead. The downside is that the loop where the shuttle drops you off is not the one for the church so it requires a change to the other loop and will take a couple of hours to finally make the church.

In Cannes we were dropped of at Quai Laubeuf. Its not along walk to Gare Maritime but it is still a walk.

AllanWW